Sewing machine



Aug. 7, 1923.' n 1,464,081

.L LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Filed sept. 15, 1920 4 'sheets-sheet 1 I lf JVM

4 NORA/E V Aug. 7, 1923. -1464,U8R

J. LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

If/15h52.

i. 'Uilm-'m @Q lq INVE TORv ffmm Aug. 7, 1923. L4M-)U83 J. I IEATIHIEMI SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. l5 1920 4 S1'1ee ,'s-Sheerl 5 -V Sig- Bv I fffmy Aug. 1923. L4G4 J. LEATHEM SEWING MACHINE Filed sept. 15, i920 4 sheets-sheet 4` i sa jaw IVENTOR Patented Aug. 7, i923..

rra Srta JAMES `:LEATI-IELVL, OF LEBANON, EENNSYLVANIA.

SEWING Application led Sept mber `To @ZZ whom t may con-celui .Be it known that l, JAMES LEATHEM, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Lebanon, in the county ofLebanon and State oiiPennsylvania, have invented `certain new `and useful `lmprovements in Sewing 'Machinea of which the `following is a specilication.

This invention relates tosewing machines,

lo employing a needle having reciprocating `as l.wellas oscillating,movements such asare ,used in the stitching of henistitched seams and the `objects of the invention are to simplify and improve the construction oi such l5, machines and increase their4 eiiiciency of opent invention, shown partlyin section and yparts broken awaynjfor clearness oi illustra- '.tion.

.Figure 2 isabottoni view of; the sewing machine shown inlFigure l.

Y,ligure isan end view, partly in section ,and with parts broken away, of the sewing machine .shown in Figure 1.

`Figure l-is `asectional view,I with parts broken away on the line 4 4 of Figure.

Figure 5 is asectional view, with `parts broken away on the line 5-.5 ofFigure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view, with parts broken away on the line G-Got Fiure 1.

'tigure 7 is anenlarged sectional view, with parts broken away of the rear side of Athe headoiithe machine.

Referring to thefdrawings, 1 designates a bed plate; 2 an over-hanging hollow arin in which is mounted a needle bar actuating shaft 3 bynieans of bearing blocksd. The

forwardend `of ,the actuatingyshatt 8 has rigidly secured therotoone end otla crank arm 5 to the other end ofwh'ich is rotatably mounted one end of a short link G the, other Aend oi' which is rotatably mounted an adjusti.

,able ,stud bearing 7securedvto a needlebar S lsuitably mountedin theovcrhanging arm, theneedlebar being reciprocatedby the osf cil-latons ofthe actuating shaft tok which it V`is connected` as vfollows: i

The vrearward end ot the actuating shaft MACHINE.

15, 192.0. SerialNo. L10,472.

has adjustablysecured thereto one end of a crank arm 9 to the other end ot which is rotatably mountedv one end of a connecting rod y10 the other end of which is rotatably mounted on a crank 11 forming part ot' amain driving shaft 12 mounted in suitable bewaring blocks 13, 14C and 15 secured to the bottom ot the bed plate.

The rotation orn the main driving shaft 12 through the medium ofasuitable rpulleyle acts to reciprocate the connecting rod .10 which oscillates the actuating shaft 3 andit in turn acts through the crank arm 5 link "6 and stud bearing 7 to reciprocate theneedle bar 8.

IThe lower end of the needle bar8 is prof `vided with a slotted bearing block 17 `in lwhich is pivotallyinounted `byii'nean'sioil a tapered pin 1S the lower end of agneedle actuatingzlever 19 having at its lowerendand `preferably integral therewith, a needle' hold l er f2() ,for holding a needlesQl. The needle bearing yblock- 17 isalsoprovidedl with means `for holdinga piercer 22. The upperl endet the needle actuating lever 19v is ,pivotedt'o a cross head which is arranged lto slide in' a suitable groove "or raceway Qina needle oscillating lever V25, iin the present instance made L shape. The upperend of theneedle oscillating rlever v is arrangedwto `litv in a groove ,26 in the` forward end ofthe arm in which it ispivotedvby,means of apin 27, the lower end ot' the lever 25 is also arranged l to lit in, a lgroove128in ,they forwardv end of .the arm, thesame beingpivotally connected, by means. of a ,pivot,pin,29, to the'forward end ot a link 30. Thesrearward end oi? .the link is pivotally connected, means of a r pivot pin 431, to theupper end of` a slotted segment lever 32, the lower endk of which `pivoted to the upright portion of the arm by i means of a pivot pin .A segmental slot 34- `in thelever 32 is arranged to adjustably vengage one `endloi a link 35 by means of a pivot bolt` 8G, the other end of the link being pivotally connected by means 01"' a pivot pin 37 to one end ot a short crank arm.88the lowerend otwhich is rigidly yconnected to `oneend of` a `shaft 39 rotatably mounted in the, uprightportion,of the,ar1n, the backwardly extending Yportion of whichis suitably recessed together withthe bed plate to permitof freemovementot a` crank arm Zl0 the ripper` end of which is rigidly secured to the shaft 39 adjacent its rear end, l'lhe'lower end ot thecrank arm t() isprovided,with a roller 41 arranged to engage a cam groove 42 in a circular cam 43 secured to an auxiliary shaft 44 mounted in the bearing blocks 13 and 14. Mounted on the auxiliary shaft 44 is a gear 45 which is arranged to be engaged by a pinion 46 mounted on the main driving shaft 12.

The rotation of the main driving shaft 12 acts through the pinion 46, gear 45, cam 43 and connecting parts to oscillate the needle oscillating lever 25 whose oscillations act to oscillate the needle actuating lever 19 and thereby the needle 21 as the needle bar is reciprocated.

The oscillations of the needle can be regulated by setting the pivot bolt 36 at diiferent positionsr in the segmental slot 34, any ordinary throw of the needle can be obtained in this manner, further* regulations of the throw oi the needle can of course be obtained by varying the cam groove in the cam 43.

In the present instance the looping mechanism comprises a rotary hook or loop taker "47 having a vertical shaft 48 rotatably mounted in a bearing block 49. The shatt 48 is provided intermediate of its length with a bevel pinion 50 which meshes with a bevel gear 51 mounted on the mainy driving shaft 12 adjacent the end thereof. `The relative sizes of the bevel pinion 50 and the Ibevel gear 51 to form a hemstitch being such as to imp'art two rotations to the loop t-aker 47 to each complete stroke of the needle bar.

In accordance with the present invention the cam groove 42 in the cam 43 is cut to oscillate the needle. 21 at lproper intervals to form a hemstitch. 1n the present instance the cam groove 42 is cut to give a substantially straight up and down movement to the needle when a stitch is made on the hem fold of the material, and to oscillate the needle when stitches are made off the hem fold, the cam groove being suitably cut to oscillate the needle to place two stitches ofi' the hem fold to one on.

In that the needle 21 is moved substantially straight up and down when placing a stitch on the hem fold the needle thread does not bind and break during this portion of the stitch even. at very high speeds, it being customary to provide a small longitudinal recess on each side of the needle, into which the needle thread iits, to obviate the binding of the needle thread between the needle and the material.

. After the needle 21 has been actuated by the cam groove 42 on the cam 43 to place a stitch on the hem fold, the cam groove 42 on the neXt downward movement ot' the needle acts to oscillate the needle to place a stitch ofi the hem fold. After the needle has passed through the material to place the needle actsto oscillate the needle toward the rotary hook or loop taker 47 to permit the needle thread to be engaged thereby, in which position the needle is moved by the action of the cam groove 42 substantially straight up and down at the end of its downward movement and at the beginning ol its upward movement. On the further upward movement of the needle the cam groove 42 acts to again oscillate the lneedle away from the loop taker to permit the needle to come out of the material at sub-- stantially the same point where the needle entered the material off the hem fold, so as to obviate any tendency to bind the needle thread between the needle. and the material to cause the thread to break.

A fter the needle 21 has been oscillated by the action of the cam groove 42 to place one stitch ott the hem fold the cam groove 42 again acts in exactly the same manner to place another stitch oif the hem fold, which operation is followed by another series of operations to place another stitch on the hem fold and two off, as before described.

The oscillations of the needle back and forth by the action of the cam groove 42 every time a stitch is placed off the hem fold so that the needle enters and leaves the material at substantially the same point obviates any tendency to bind the needle thread between the needle and the material to cause the thread to break even at the highest speeds. i

When the machine is run at very high speeds it is extremely important that there be no binding of the needle thread as it passes through the material, as the slightest -binding of any kind will cause it to break while it is true that the needle is ordinarily provided with a. longitudinal recess on both sides, these recesses act to prevent binding vonly when the needle is reciprocated straight up and down in the material; when however the needle is oscillated to place a stitch oil" the hem fold the movement of the needle inward to draw the needle thread into engagement with the hook or loop taker, crowds the material up against the needle in such a manner as to bind the needle thread when the needle is withdrawn from the material it' this crowding of the material is not relie-ved.

In accordance with the present invention the crowding of the material against the needle as the needle is withdrawn after placing a stitch off the hem fold is accomplished, as above described, by cutting the cam groove 42 in the cam 43 so that the needle leaves the material at substantially the same point as the needle entered the material, .or at such a point as near where the needle originally entered as to be beyond where the material will bind or break the needle thread. The crowding of the material cla against theneedle is not a serious -matter lwhen the machine is run at comparatively low speedsbut when the machine is run at very high speeds it is absolutely essential that this crowding ofthe material which 'acts to bindtheneedle thread be obviated.

In the present instance the feeding mechanism comprisesa feed bar 52 having suitable feed points 53 situated Yon the topsurshaft 57 has adjustably secured theretoa slotted arm 61 in vwhi ch is adjustably secured one end of a link 62 by means of a pivoty bolt 63 the other end ofthe link 62 being pivoted yto one arm of an Lshaped lever 64 the center of which is securedto, one endofa sleeve 65 rotatably mounted on a shaft 66secured to the bearing blocks 13 and 14. The other arm of the l. shaped lever 64 is provided with a roller 67 which engages a cam groove 68situated on the side of the gear 45 niountved on theauxiliary shaft 44.

rlhe rotation of the main driving shaft 1Q acts through 'the pinion 46,*.gear 45, cam groove 68, roller67 and connecting parts'to move the feed bar 52 and with it thefeed ,dog 54`back and' forth atstate'd intervals to feed thematerial backward or forward as may be required. Inl the present instance the cam groove 68 isarra-nged to move the feed `dog 54backand lforth lforevery complete stroke of the needle bar. The .back

and forth movementof the feed dog is regulated by adjusting the pivot bolt `63 in the slottedarm 61 to give any desired feed movement tothe feed dog.

The other end of thc'feed bar 52 is slotted to receive a Crosshead 69 whichis pivotally secured to one end of a short arm 70 the otherend of which is secured to a rock shaft 71 rotatably mounted on bearing pins 72 securedto bearing` blocks '73 and 13 se ,curedl to the bottom of the bed plate. The rock shaft 71 has secured thereto one end of a shortarm 74 the other end of which is provided with a `roller 75 which engages a cam Oroove 76 in a sefrmcntal cam 77 secured t* In `to a rock shaft 76 rotatably mounted on bearing pins 79secured tov bearing blocks 73 and 13. The segmental cam 77 isprovided ,l

' with a slot 80 which engages a cross head 81 lpivoted on a Ldisk 82 secured to the end of the auxiliary shaft 44.

stated intervals lto L-feed the material i backward or forward as may be .requ-iied. 'In

the present instance the cam groove -=76 -is `arranged to depress thefeed dog `fto feed the material Aforward two steps `toone step rearwardly.

In accordance with the present invention the `upward and downward movement of! the yfeed `dog 54 into and out ofengagement with the material is regulated to give a relatively slow upward movement of thefeed dog, as it engages thematerial7 witha corresponding rapid downward movement lof thewfeed dog as it Vdisengages'the material.

The relatively slow lupwardmovement of 4the feed 'dog -acts to force vthe `material against thebottom of a suitable double presser foot 83 with little or no ar and accordingly without injury to the material, itr being important at high speeds to avoid the incident to a too rapid engagement ofthe feed `dogwith the-material which would act toforce the material against `thefbottom vof the presser' foot in many instances with sufficient force to cut the same.

The corresponding rapid downward movement of the feed dog acts to disengage vthe material instantlyv without jar or shock allowing the time thus saved to loek usedon 'the relatively slow upward movement ofthe feed bar. V f l `By referring to the drawings it will be seen that when the cam groove 76 acts to'depress ythe feed dog 54 the cross head'Sl on the disk S2 is moving in that portion of the slot 8O of the segmental cam 77 which" is adjacent the roc-k shaft'78, which acts to give a rapid downward kmovement tothe feed dog' Vwhen however the camgroove` 76 acts to raise-thejfeed dog, thecross head 81 on` therdisk 8:?,l is moving in that portion ofthe slotSO of the `segmental cam 77 vwhich is away from the rock shaft 78 which acts to given relatively slow upward movement to thefeedgdog.

In the presentinstance the double presser 'foot'88 comprises two presser shoes 84 each of which is suitably pivoted midway of their length to the lower curved ends of shoe arms 85 the upper ends of which are secured to the lower ends of independent pressen foot bars 86 each of which is slidably mounted in the end of the overhanging arm 2. ,The

upper endv of each of the presser foot bars,

are .preferably made hollow and arranged to enclose coiled springs 87 arranged. to ybe engaged rby pins 88 pressed Adownward `by means ofsuitable caps 89 which screw into ythe arni 2 to force theshoes 84 into'engagen ment with the materialen theyfeed dog.' `lVhen in the operation ofthe machinethe "feed dog is lowered the overhangingsidesof thepresser shoes rest upon the feed plate-90.

The presser shoes'84 are arrangedtoact on the material entirely independent of each CII ,mounted on the other.

other but the same are arranged to be lifted .when not in use` by means of a latch 91 pivoted to the arm 2 which engages a pra jection. 92 secured to a double collar 93 mounted onfboth presser foot bars and arranged to be secured to one and slidably A similar double Collar 94 is also provided which is mounted on both presser bars and spaced away from the'double collar 93 the same being` secured to the opposite presser foot bar and slidably mounted on theother so that the latch 9l will operate both presser shoes at the same time leaving'the presser shoes when in operative position to act independently, the double collars 93 and 94 acting to brace the presser foot bars one against the other. i

It is to be noted that the presser foot bars 86 are slidably mounted .in the end of the armas nearly adjacent the needle bar S as possible, in order to give aslnearly as possilble a direct upward thrust to the presser bars when the presser. slices are engaged on the upward movement of the feed deg. The mounting of the presser foot bars so nearly adjacent the needle bar is made possible by the fact that the needle bar is reciprocated by the rocking of the actuating shaft 3, less space being required for a reciprocating con-- nection than otherwise would be the case if the actuating shaft 3 was rotated. This arrangement of the presser bars prevents eircessive vibration of the presser foot and enables the machine to be run at very high speeds with a uniform feeding of the material. i 1

The take up mechanism comprises a taire up arm 95 arranged to extend upward through a slot 96 in the bed plate, the lower end of saidtalre up arm is integrally secured to a short shaft 97 rotatably mounted in the' bearing block 14. The shaft 97 has secured thereto one end of a short arm 98, the other end of which .is pivoted by means of a ball joint `99 to vone end of ay linlr 100 the other end of which is pivoted by means of a ball joint,101 to the Yend of van adjustable arm 102 secured to short shaft 103,rotatably Ymounted in the bearing block 14. The end of the shaft 103 which projects beyond the end of thebearing block 14 is secured to one end of a guide rod 104 upon which is slidably mounted a slide sleeve'105 having'an extended portion 106 which is pivoted by` meansof a pivot pin 107 to an extended portion 108 on the lower end of the connecting rod 10.

The rotation of the main driving shaft 12 in a clockwise direction acts through the medium of the slide sleeve 105 to oscillate vthe guide rod 104 which acts through connecting parts to oscillate the-take up arm 95. The position of the slide sleeve 105 on the ytakes place when the take up arm is moving trom right to left, while for drawing the stitch tight, which tales place when the take up arm is moving from left to right, the movement of the take up arm is extremely rapid. It will be observed that the slide sleeve 1.05 is at the lower portion of the guide rod 104 adjacent the shaft 103 when the taire-up arm is moving from left to right and also near both ends'of its movements,

permitting relatively fast lmovement of the tal/:e up arm during this time, when however the slide sleeve 105 is at the upper portion of the guide rod 104 the take vup arm is 'moving from right to left, permitting relatively slow movement of the take up arm during this time.

rThe machine above described is capable of running at the rate of forty-five hundred revolutions a minute upward to live thousand revolutions a minute with practically no vibration.

VJhile the invention has been described with particular reference to the details of construction, the same is not to be considered as limited thereto, as many changes can be made and still fall within the scope of theinvention set forth in the` following claims; j

What I claim is:

1 A hem stitching machine including in combination, a reciprocating` needle bar, means for vholding the needle connected thereto, arotary hook located to one side of the line of feedof the material and adapted to engage the thread vcarried by the needle, and means for oscillating said needle to malte lateral stitches in the material, said oscillating means being arranged to move the needle when in the material toward and away from said hook, said last named means serving to position the needle thread in uncrowded relation to thev side of the material upon the withdrawal of the needle from the material, whereby the needler thread will have a free action at relatively high speeds of the machine,

2. A hem stitching machine including in combination, a reciprocating needle bar, means for holding a needleconnected thereto, means arranged to engage the thread carried by the needle, said means being adapted to engage the needle thread to one side of a plane passing through the center of the line of Vthe connecting parts acts to give a rapid ressent eed of the material, and rmeans toroscillating said needle to make lateral stitches in the material, said oscillating means being adapted to move the needle when in said material and citi the hem told toward and away trom said second named means, said last named means serving to return the needle to a position for permitting' its withdrawal from the material at substantially its point. of entry with the needle thread uncrowded against the sides of the material tor permitting free action thereof at relativelv high speeds of the machine.

3. A hem stitching machine including in combination a reciprocating needle bar, means for holding a needle connected thereto, means arranged to engage the thread carried by the needle1 said means being adapted to engage the needle thread upon one side of the line ot feed ot the material, and means for oscillating; the needle to make lateral stitches in the material, said oscillating means being arranged to move the needle when in the material toward and away trom said needle thread engaging means` said oscillating means acting' to cause the withdrawal of the needle from the material with the needle thread uncrowded from against the side of the material to permit tree action of said thread at high speeds, and means for adjusting the relative lateral movements of the needle in the material.

4. A hein stitching machine including in combination a needle barn a needle actuating means connected to the needle bar. means arranged at one side of the line ot feed for operative engagement with the thread car-` ried by the needle, a lever pivotally connected to the needle bar and operated to oscillate the needle laterally, and means including an adjustable lever 'for oscillating' the first named lever whereby the needle is moved when in the material toward and away from said needle thread engaging means and caused to enter and leave the ma terial with the needle thread uncrowded from against the sides of the material to permit free action of the needle thread at relatively high speeds ol' the machine.

5. A hem stitching` machine including in combination a needle bar, an actuating' means connected to the needle bar, a rotary hook arranged to engage the thread carried by the needle, a lever pivotally connected to the needle bar, and means including a lever and link connection tor the first mentioned lever, said means being adapted to oscillate the needle when in the material toward and away trom said rotary hook to cause the needle to enter and leave the material at substantially the same point thereby permitting` the needle thread to be positioned in uncrowded relation to the sides ot the material during the withdrawal of the needle.

6. A sewing machine including in combination, a needle bar, a needle actua-ting means connected to theneedle bar, an` l.'- shaped lever having` its upper end pivotally connected to the machine, a needle actuating4 lever pivoted to the needlebar andhavinging lever is vibrated and the needle caused` to move laterally to and tro while in the material so as to position the needle thread in uncrowded relation to the side ot the material upon the withdrawal of the needle.

7. A hem stitching machine including in combination, a needle bar, an actuating sha-'tt connected to said needle bar, means for oscillating said needle shaft to reciprocate said needle bar, a movable hook for engaging the thread carried by the needle, means for vibrating the needle when in the material toward'and away from said hook said vibrating means acting` to position the needle thread in uncrowded relation to the side of the material when the needle is withdrawn for preventing breakage of said needle thread at relatively high speeds of the machine. a `feed dog, means for oscillating said dog to feed the material through the machine, a presser toot. and means tor mounting said presser foot immediately adjacent said needle bar and directly above said feed dog.

8. A hem stitching machine including in combination a needle bar, a needle actuating lever pivotally connected to said needle bar, an oscillating lever movably connected to said needle actuating` lever, a. rotary hook adapted to engage the thread carried by the needle, and means for operating said oscillating lever to move said actuating lever when the needle is in the material, said means beingl adjustable and serving to move the needle while in the material a predetermined distance toward and awa-y from the said rotary hook, the movement of the needle away from said hook acting to position the needle thread in uncrowded relation from against the sides ot the material to permit tree action of the needle thread and prevent` breakage thereof at relatively high speeds of the machine.

9. A hem stitching machine including in combination a reciprocating needle bar, means ttor holding a needle connected thereto, means arranged to engage the thread carried by theneedle, said means being adapted to engage the thread upon one` side of the line of feed ot the material, and means for oscillating the needle to make lateral stitches in themat-erial, said means including a cam adapted to'move the needle when in the material toward and away from said needle thread engaging means, said cam being designedto position the needle thread in uncrowded relation with respect to the sides of the material upon the Withdrawal of the needle for permitting free aeton of said needle thread at high speeds Without hreakgIn testimony whereof I have signed this speeiioation in the presence of two suhserlbing Witnesses.

JAMES LEATHEM.

Witnesses JACOB P. OLIVER, MONROE K. MoHN. 

